The electrical conductor to optical input conversion system generally relates to electro-optics and more specifically to an optical switch.
Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) based input utilizes of small direct current, or DC, voltages and currents. Input cards recognize signals from real world interactions and translate them from electrical signals to data used for control and indication as needed for the PLC system. Discrete input, or digital input cards, send out an electric signal, and look for an on or off state of that signal to be returned through a real world peripheral device.
Analog input cards measure voltages, typically 0-5 v DC, or currents, typically 4-20 mA, to determine real world peripheral device input. These analog cards work in most applications, but still fall short when electrical surges, induced voltages, magnetic field distortions, lightning damage, or any other electrical based phenomenon occur in the real world at the sensing peripheral device.